Cross stitch Finish: Sans Souci

I have a finish.  Sans Souci by Long Dog Samplers

The details:

Design 162x266 and according to PatternKeeper is 24252 stitches.

Time to stitch:  124 hours, total number of days worked on: 43 days

Started 31 Oct 19. finished 29 May 20

Stitched on 32 ct Weeks DyeWorks purchased from The Embroiderer and with Silks4U  PR147.

While shops are now open, I will probably wait a few more weeks until we are down to level 1 before I get this framed.  The framer I go to has quite a small shop area, so not sure they will be able to do physical distancing.

Pandemic level 2, a knitted hat, sewn capelet and a shirt and haul

We've now been on level 2 for 2 weeks.  Restrictions have eased further, with gyms reopening, shops open again but practicing physical distancing.  Our confirmed and probable cases have only risen slightly since my last post and are now 1503, deaths have risen by 1 to 21.  Over the last 2 weeks we have only recorded another 2 or 3 confirmed cases.   We find out on 22 June if we can move to level 1.

I went out on the weekend for a friends 60th birthday and inadvertently attended a wedding.  A wedding was being held at the restaurant.  It was a lovely and simple wedding.  It was a Maori wedding and a lot of traditional aspects were followed which was lovely.

I'm now back at the gym, but needing to get back into it gradually as my fitness has really dropped off over the last few weeks.

On to what I've been making.

I made the Itch to Stitch Cape Cod capelet.

It was an easy sew.  It took me around  1 1/2 hours, done entirely on the overlocker and coverstitch. However I think I picked the wrong fabric for it.  The fabric works but it is a very lightweight wool, only suitable for wearing in summer and not sure I'd want to wear a capelet in summer.  A heavier fabric would have been more suitable for a winter and autumn/spring capelet.

I also made the Grainline Archer shirt

This is a very popular pattern amongst sewists.  So when Grainline had a sale I bought the pattern.  I can see why it is so popular.  It comes together beautifully, instructions are easy to follow.  It is a classic shirt, with yoke, and back pleat, stand up collar and plackets and cuffs at sleeves.  I made this in a stretch poplin that I've had in my stash.  This took me around 8 hours which I think is pretty good for a shirt.  The only alteration I made was to leave off the pockets on the front.  I think next time I should shorten the sleeves by 1 inch as they are a bit too long, very unusual problem for me!

I also had another knitting finish.  The antler toque pattern by Tincan knits, a free pattern on Ravelry.

To be honest, I have never worn a hat in Auckland in the 39 years I've lived here.  It just isn't cold enough in winter.  But I might be encouraged to wear a me-made hat.  I enjoyed knitting this and it only took about 6 days to knit, doing other things as well as the hat.  I even bought a fur pom pom to finish it off.

Cross stitch is still progressing and I finished a rotation on His Eye is on the Sparrow.

As soon as we went into level 2 and were able to go into shops I had to visit Ribbon Rose.  It was the busiest I've ever seen it.  I made a good haul

Lots of yarn, new circular needles, interchangeable needles and stitch markers.

4 ply Ashford MacKenzie 100% Merino, colour Sangria, to knit Flax Lite by Tincan knits.  free pattern on Ravelry

Opal Butterfly sock yarn, self patterning. 75%wool, 25% nylon. For Vanilla Latte socks, free pattern on Ravelry

Rowan 100%wool, colour Gold. Used for the Antler Toque hat

 Zauberball colour Tonspur, for Vanilla Latte socks.

Pandemic level 3. Reyna shawl, drawstring bag and cross stitch update.

Last week we moved from level 4 to level 3.  It doesn't make much difference to me, but other people were able to return to work and businesses were able to do takeaway or pick up orders. At this stage we have 1487 confirmed cases and sadly 20 deaths. The numbers of confirmed cases over the last week have been less than 10 each day.  We find out next week if we can move to level 2.  For me this means I may be able to resume going to the gym and go the hairdresser, optometrist and dentist.


Meanwhile on to what I have been doing in lockdown. I had my birthday.  Very strange not being able to go out with anyone to celebrate.  Probably the loneliest I've been during lockdown.  It doesn't help that both my fathers and mothers birthdays would have fallen during lockdown so wasn't able to do anything to commemorate them.

Anyway, on to more productive stuff.

I finished my first knitting project in about 30 years.  The Reyna shawl, a free pattern from Ravelry.

I loved it so much I decided I wanted to make another one but bigger, more like a true shawl and with alternating colours.  I already had some of this Malabrigo sock yarn in

It is variegated with dark red and hints of purple.  I thought this grape Ashford Tekapo would work nicely.   On my screen it appeared to be a plum colour.  However when it arrived it was pure purple.

It clashes somewhat with the red, but its all I had on hand so  I went ahead and started it.

As it grows the red lace rows will be deeper.

When I ordered the wool I also went ahead and ordered a set of Knit Pro interchangeable circular needles.

Washing instructions for future reference.

While in lockdown a friend turned 60.  For the big birthdays a group of us club together to buy a nice gift.  I feel a bit guilty these days for using wrapping paper  - wasteful as it just ends up being used once then thrown away.  So I decided to make a drawstring bag for the gift.  She can then use the bag for storing whatever she wants. 

I found some velvet in my stash and made the base from denim.  I used a specialty stitch (stitch 40) on my sewing machine and a gold embroidery thread to add a bit of decoration to the denim.

The drawstring is some black twill tape I had in my stash. 

A pretty bag all made from scrap fabric.

For future reference the dimensions of fabric that I cut for this bag were:

Base:  11 x 6.5"   x2

Main:  11x7.5"    x2

Lining  11x 13"  x 2

Drawstring casing 11x2.5" x 2

Sewn with a 1/2" seam allowance.  I boxed the corners with 1 1/2" square cut out.

I've been busy with cross stitch as always.   I have another rotation in on Ornament Healing Rose by HAED

I've now stitched 17556 stitches which is 35.68%.